how so

Senso (Inglese)

Phrase

1. How?; In what way?
2. Why?; For what reason?

Adv

1. How; In what way; however
2. Why; For what reason.
3. Used as an intensifier.

Concetti

come mai

Etimologia (Inglese)

Ereditato da inglese medio: how-so

Affine frisone occidentale: hoesa

Affine olandese: hoezo

Affine tedesco: wieso

Affine svedese: hurså

In summary

From ellipsis of "how is that so?", and also continuing Middle English how-so, hou-so, hu se (“however, in whatsoever way”). Compare West Frisian hoesa (“how so, why”), Dutch hoezo (“how so, why”), German Low German woso (“how so, why”), German wieso (“how so, why”), Swedish hurså (“how so”). By surface analysis, how + so.